


Fracture My Spine and Swear That You're Mine

by potions



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Asshole Gerard Way, Bullying, Dom Gerard Way, Drinking, Fighting, Hate to Love, M/M, Masochism, Shy Frank Iero, Sub Frank Iero, Violence, frank has a pain kink tbh, its not as violent as it seems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-06-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 16:19:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3735487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potions/pseuds/potions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Frank never thought he'd like his appearance this much. There was just something charming about touching the blood dribbling from his mouth and pressing ice over his swollen eye. He never thought he'd find himself wishing for this to happen again, either.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Moving

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from "the masochism tango" by tom lehrer  
>   
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank and his parents move to a new town.

Ever since elementary school, Frank Iero had been picked on. He was viewed as an easy target since he was shorter than most and didn't have friends. Over time, Frank had tried his best to prove that he wasn't as weak as everyone made him out to be. He'd picked up the habit of smoking, hoping that would make him look a little bit more badass, but it didn't seem to help very much. People still made just as much fun of him as before. He took it a step further, cutting his hair into a mohawk and piercing his lip and nose. He hoped that would ward them off. The appearance change drew in people that were willing to be his friends more than scaring off mean kids.  It worked, though, most kids stayed away when they noticed Frank was with someone else. Then he became set on the idea of building up a friend group. It took him a long time since he was rather introverted, but by the time he hit his third year of high school he'd built up a good circle of acquaintances. Everything being ripped away from him, though. Frank was moving, and he couldn't bring his reputation or friends with him to a new school. He was in a world of shit.  
  
  
"Frankie, honey!" Linda Iero called, pushing open the door to Frank's room to check in on the boy. She smiled sympathetically when she caught sight of him weakly packing up the last of his items. His mother walked over and crouched down, putting a hand on her son's back gently. "I think you're going to do fine in the new school." She whispered, giving him a reassuring smile. Frank raised his head, a scowl on his face. He didn't want to go, and he was genuinely considering begging her not to make him leave.  
  
"I don't want to move! This is the only place I have friends, what the fuck am I supposed to do when I get trash canned again? I won't have anyone to hide behind." He snapped, his eyes narrowing. He stood up and moved away from his mother, folding his arms and staring out the window.  
  
"Don't use that language with me." She said sharply, standing up straight and walking towards the door, "You're obviously choosing to be inconsolable. That's fine. Take that last box out to the car, we've got to get going." With that, she closed the door behind her and marched off down the hall.  
Frank sighed and looked around at his room, examining the tiny holes in the wall where he'd put tacks to hang up his posters and closed his eyes. He liked this room, and he liked this house. He wasn't ready to leave. He squeezed his eyes shut and lifted the box up, opening the door with his elbow and sluggishly moving down the hall. His parents were probably waiting in the car by now.  
  
  
Frank spent most of the drive laying down in the back seat with his headphones in. He didn't want to look out the window. He didn't want to see the world he had always known disappear behind him. His phone buzzed, and he immediately checked it. Sadly, it was just a text from his service provider telling him that the phone bill was due. It was kind of upsetting that none of his friends had texted him to wish him a final goodbye. It wasn't like they owed it to him or anything, but he'd sure appreciate it. He shook his head, tucking the device into the pocket of jeans.  
As the drive went on, he found it increasingly hard to stay awake. He stared blankly at the floor of the car while his music hummed quietly in his ears. Frank shifted around awkwardly in the seat until he found a comfortable position and let his eyes fall shut, knowing that sleep would take his mind off of everything.  
  
"We're here!"  
He jolted awake at the feeling of his earphones being pulled out and looked around, sighing loudly. Yeah, this was the house his parents had kept trying to show him for the past three months. It was definitely a step down from their previous home. It was so much smaller. Frank cringed and sat upright, tucking his headphones away. The boy dragged himself out of the car and helped pull out the few boxes of belongings they'd packed in the trunk. Everything else was in storage as of right now, which meant he was going to be spending a few nights on an air mattress. He groaned and dragged two suitcases up to the front door, hitting the handle repeatedly with his elbow until he was finally able to open it. He pushed the door until it was wide open and looked around inside, rather surprised with the appearance of the house It wasn't a fancy place, really, it just had a pleasant atmosphere. He stood in the doorway for a while, taking in the size of it before stepping forward tentatively.  
  
"I like it, don't you?" Linda patted her son on the shoulder and grinned, moving past him with a bag under her arm.  
  
"It's okay, I guess," Frank mumbled, dropping the two suitcases down by the door of the master bedroom before shuffling over to another room which was likely going to be his. He closed the door behind him and huffed. There was nothing in here, so he just settled for sitting on the ground and leaning on the door. He fished his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Ray, hoping that he'd provide him with some kind of distraction from the horrible reality he was facing.  
  
ray. im rly fuckin scared. i hate it here.  
**[7:15 PM]**  
  
Its _gonna be OK. U can text me anytime if ur anxious._  
**[7:16 PM]**  
  
thanks. do yu think ill get slammed in2 a locker my 1st day.  
**[7:18 PM]**  
  
_No way ur too tuff looking >:)_  
**[7:18 PM]**  
  
i hope yr right.  
**[7:20 PM]**  
  
Frank tossed his phone down on the ground, suddenly realizing that talking to someone wasn't what he needed right now. He rolled over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. He'd start school in a few days, and he'd was already dreading it. There wasn't anything he could do about it, though. He'd just have to roll with the punches. He stared at the empty ceiling in silence, letting his thoughts melt away as he managed to fall asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know the first chapter is pretty boring, i just needed a starting point


	2. Who's That Kid?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank's first day at his new school.

"God, no. Please don't make me do this." Frank pleaded to his beeping alarm clock with wide eyes. He lifted his hand up to touch his forehead, which was already slightly damp with sweat. He silenced the alarm by slamming his free fist down on the top of it. This was hell. Slowly, he pulled himself out of bed, every cell in his body screaming for him to stop. He felt like he was dying.  
  
The boy stumbled around the room helplessly, grabbing at every box until he found the one full of his clothing. He pulled out his gray sweatshirt and the first pair of jeans he saw. He changed his clothing very fast and glanced down at the air mattress he'd been sleeping on. Frank sighed and grabbed his phone up off of it, shoving it down into the back pocket of his jeans since these ones had fake front pockets. The boy stared at himself in the mirrors on his closet, adjusting his piercings and making sure his mohawk was sticking up in all the right places. He touched his face over and over, examining his soft eyes and pointy jaw.  
  
He didn't look intimidating, really, but he looked pretty damn good.

"Frank, c'mon. You're going to be late if you don't hurry up." His dad called from outside the door, knocking lightly on it. Frank tore his attention from his reflection and spritzed some cheap cologne on himself. The closer he got to his backpack, the more sickly and nervous he felt. When he finally lifted it up onto his shoulder, it felt heavier than anything he'd carried in his life.  
  
"Coming." He responded, twisting the knob of the door in his hand and exiting his room. He looked up at his Dad, who gave him a gentle smile. Frank couldn't bring himself to return it. He felt too awful.  
  
 "Once you start getting used to this place, you can start walking to school. It isn't that far away." His father mumbled mostly to himself as he pulled the keys out of his jacket pocket and went over to the front door. Frank felt like his legs were glued to the floor, but by some miracle, still managed to move forward and get out the door right behind his father. He stopped for a moment, staring at the horizon where the sun was rising.  
He zoned out, just watching the trees sway gently in the breeze until the muffled sound of the engine starting caused him to jump. The short boy awkwardly hurried over and hopped into the car. He didn't bother to buckle his seatbelt when the automobile pulled out of the driveway. 

 

Every single bump they drove over caused a rush of adrenaline to run through his veins. He gripped his thighs tightly and stared directly ahead of him, his eyes glued to the large building that had appeared in the distance the further they drove. He tried to take a breath through his mouth, but it felt as if hands were pressed against his throat. God, he'd probably die before they even pulled into the parking lot.  
  
Much to Frank's disgust, he didn't die before they arrived, and he was dropped off in front of the main doors. He'd been given some instructions by his dad, but he hadn't paid attention to a word he said. He stood helplessly in front of the school for a while before going through the entrance. A wave of cold air hit him as soon as he stepped inside and he let out a shudder. This was obviously a bad omen.  
  
 "Frank Iero, huh?" The woman at the desk said, looking over her glasses at the boy in front of her. "Nice. I'm Ms. Harris." She continued, spinning around in her chair to access a file cabinet behind her. Frank assumed her to be the front desk attendant, but he wasn't entirely sure. The woman talked to herself as she looked through the various folders until she pulled out a file with a few papers. "This is your schedule. Your locker number and combination are right here. This is a map of the school. Any questions?" It seemed like she was pretty annoyed. She pushed her hair behind her ear and handed the items to Frank, looking impatient.  
  
"Thank you." He whispered, looking down at the sheets of paper in his hands.  
  
"You're welcome. Go ahead down that hallway, that's where most of the juniors are. If you need help, just ask any of them." With that, the woman was back to her work, typing away wildly on her computer. It was clear Ms. Harris didn't want to be bothered anymore.  
  
The boy shuffled down towards the hall, his saliva feeling as thick as maple syrup as he swallowed it down. As soon as he set foot on the linoleum, he felt all eyes on him.  
"Ooh, who's that?" A girl squealed, nudging a few of her friends to get their attention. Frank stood still, frozen under all their gazes. He heard some kid laugh under his breath, and he finally brought himself to walk down the hall.  
  
"Hey, new kid! Over here!" Some guy called out, waving at Frank with a goofy grin on his face before snickering into his hand. God, he felt so trapped, and he just wanted everyone to stop looking at him already. He held his head up high and walked down the hall with purpose in his step, even though he had no idea where he was going. He scanned the groups of kids, looking for someone who looked friendly, yet tough. If he could get someone badass to show him around, he'd likely get left alone. Frank skidded to a stop at the sight of a guy leaning against a locker. His eyes weren't trained on him like everyone else. He was making eye contact with his friend. He had somewhat short black hair that ended right at his jaw, and it swayed slightly when he moved his head. His skin was pale and his face was rounded, and he was pretty damn attractive. Suddenly, he tilted his head and flashed Frank a smile.  
  
The shorter boy felt like running away when the mysterious student pushed himself off of the lockers and strode over towards him. Now that they were standing so close together, it was clear that this guy was also pretty tall. He was tall compared to the skunk-haired one, at least.   
  
"Who's this?" He said loudly, causing some chatter to quiet down. It was obvious he was respected because some kids looked genuinely afraid when he spoke up. This guy was perfect. If he hung around him, no one would fuck with him.  
"Speak up, pretty boy." He stated, leaning down slightly.  
  
"Um...I'm Frank." He tried his best to sound like he was calm and collected, but it was clear he was nervous. "Who're you?" He furrowed his brows and folded his arms, trying to appear a bit tougher.  
  
"Hi, Frankie. I'm Gerard." The dark-haired boy looked up to make eye contact with all the other peers watching the two of them. Gerard smiled and pointed at the other, "Everyone, this is Frankie. He's new." He said in a sarcastic tone, a small giggle coming after his words. As soon as Gerard laughed, some other kids joined in. The quiet chuckling died down quickly, and Frank was very thankful for that.  
  
"My name isn't Frankie." He muttered defensively, leaning up on his toes. Gerard smirked and put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him back down to his regular height.  
  
He rolled his eyes and dragged his hand down to grab Frank's wrist, tugging him over to where he had been leaning against the lockers. "Look, are you going to help me or not? I need to find out where my first hour is and --" Gerard lifted a hand up, silencing the smaller boy. "Shut up." He said flatly, giving him a dirty look. This caused Frank to shy away, holding his papers a bit tighter in his hands.  
"If you want my help, you've got to give me something." Gerard pointed at the boy's lip ring, "That looks nice." He commented, moving his hand to touch it. Frank immediately attempted to block his fingers, but Gerard was faster. He squeezed the smaller boy's wrist and forced it away from his mouth as he played with the piercing with his free hand. Frank stared  up at him with wide eyes, his breath catching in his throat.  
 "I want this. Give it to me." He drew his finger gently over the metal on the Frank's mouth, causing him to gasp. As soon as he heard the noise, Gerard dropped his hand and pulled back suddenly, a disgusted expression on his features.  
  
"I'm not going to give you my lip ring," Frank said defensively, scowling as he regained his composure. He glared the other boy and ran his tongue over the metal to rid it of the salty taste his fingers had left.  
  
"Are you sure about that, Frankie?" Gerard asked, quirking a brow. Frank felt as if his body was melting as he looked down at the paper. Yeah, he'd be stupid not to get help. Without a word, the boy messed with his piercing until it was out in his hand and the other took it without hesitation. "Great. Now, I'll show you everything there is to see." He said, turning away from the smaller boy and pocketing the jewelry. "Let's go. Free period doesn't last forever." He said sharply, grabbing Frank by the wrist again and forcefully pulling him down the hallway. 

\----

Just as they were at the end of their exploration around the high school, the bell rang, causing Frank to jump. The black-haired boy laughed at him, putting one hand on his hip and running the other one through his hair. "Looks like I've done my job. If you need me again, have something on you for me." He called out dismissively, walking away from the other towards whatever class his homeroom was.  
 There were probably so many nicer kids who would have led him around for free, but for some reason, Frank spent most of his day thinking about things to give Gerard. 

\----

"Have a seat right there, Frank." Mr. Black, the english teacher, said gently, motioning to a desk near the back of the room. He slid into the seat, throwing his bag down carelessly. At least this was the last period of the day. While he was sitting and waiting for instruction, a familiar face came in through the door.  
"Late again, Mr. Way." The teacher frowned at Gerard and paused writing on the white board to look at him.  
  
"As always." He crowed, sliding into the seat beside Frank. He did a double take, seemingly stunned that the new kid was sitting in the desk beside him. It must have always been empty. "Oh." He snorted and turned away from him, giving his attention to Mr. Black as he began going over some lesson the class had been working on before Frank arrived. He stared blankly at his lap, feeling utterly lost. His parents couldn't have waited until the school year was over to move? Ugh.  
 He looked over at Gerard casually, trying not to make it look like he was staring. Eventually, he ended up zoning out while he was observing the other.  
  
"Stop watching me." The black-haired boy stated, not taking his eyes off of the teacher or shifting even slightly. Frank turned his face away automatically, feeling his cheeks burn. He didn't want his only acquaintance to think he was weird.  
  
"I wasn't," He replied, furrowing his brows.  
  
"Shut up." The dark-haired one snapped, leaning over to pull paper and a pencil out of his backpack.  
  
Frank didn't want to shut up, but he did. He listened to the teacher drone on and on about something unimportant until the bell rang and they were dismissed. He gathered up his items and made eye contact with Gerard, who shrugged and left the room with the rest of the crowd, leaving Frank to try and find his way out of this horrible school by himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize if this isn't written very well. i'm very tired  
> thanks for reading!


	3. Frank Iero's Lack of Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank only really has one friend, but he lives in a different town.  
> So, he spends the afternoon hanging out with his parents.

"Frank, you look different." His father said, squinting at his son as he got into the car. He squeezed the wheel, "You took out that piercing!" He sounded happy, and Frank nodded at him, just deciding to go with it.  
  
"Yeah, I thought it was time for a change." He lied, staring out the window.  
  
"I'm really glad you felt that way, kid." His dad began to ramble about how grateful he was, but Frank just ignored it while they drove back to the house. Thankfully, the drive was barely five minutes, so he didn't have to listen to his dad for too long.

  
"Dude, how was the first day?" Ray looked up at his webcam, smiling at his friend. He was really thankful that video calling existed. He quirked a brow, looking expectantly at the image of the other.  
  
"It was really weird, Ray. I met someone." Frank yawned, leaning close to the camera. "His name is Gerard and he took my lip ring." He pulled on his lip to show where his body jewelry was missing. "I didn't get slammed into any lockers, though." The boy stated, scratching his head.  
  
"What the hell?" He sounded really confused, "Why would he take that, of all things?" Ray snorted and shook his head, "I told you! You do look tough!" He said.  
  
The other shrugged, "I have no idea. He kept touching it, though. Maybe he's just one of those kids who likes to collect shiny things." He adjusted his laptop and minimized the video chat window for a moment, "It doesn't really matter to me. I can just get a new one."  
  
"Guess so." Ray responded, running a hand through his hair,"Anyway, did you hear about the new video game release?"  
  
His eyes widened, "Of course! I need it so bad."  
  
It was always soothing to talk with Ray. He had a way of making Frank feel happy and comfortable. He was glad they were best friends. The call was over now, though, and it was beginning to get a bit lonely. Not having any siblings was a disadvantage sometimes. He left his room, leaving the door wide open behind him as he wandered into the kitchen, hoping his parents would be out there. The only company he had here was the stacks of boxes and misplaced furniture. He groaned and decided to rest his elbows on the counter, looking out the window above the sink. The street was dead, aside from an old lady walking her dog. The boy sighed, letting his head rest on his hands. This was boring as hell. There was nothing to do here.  
The sound of the front door caused Frank to jump and his mother came through it with a smile on her face. She held up a bag and pointed at it.  
  
"I went shopping!" She said cheerfully, pulling the items out and setting them on the counter. The only things she'd bought were decorations for the house, and that just didn't really interest Frank.  
  
He gave her the most enthusiastic look he could muster. "Oh, yeah. I really like those." He remarked, "Where'd you get them?" Frank listened to his mother with interest, nodding his head as she told him the short story of how she stumbled upon a thrift shop on her way home from the grocery store.  
  
"Maybe you'd like to come with me some time. There are plenty of things you would enjoy at that place." She finished, smiling hopefully at her child.  
  
"Yeah, that seems fun." He said, messing with the drawstrings on his hoodie as he stared off into space.  
  
"Frank, you're in my way." Linda shook her son's shoulder lightly and guided him out towards the edge of the kitchen, "I have a dinner to cook." She ruffled his hair and turned around, hurrying back over to the bags she'd brought in.  
  
Frank snorted and looked around, deciding on what to do while his mom cooked. Suddenly, it hit him. He left the kitchen and went into his room, eyes scanning over the packed items. He patted one of the many cardboard boxes and unfolded the top, trying to figure out what was in it. Almost all his posters were in here, so he pulled them out and tossed them on his bed with the box of tacks right behind. Looks like he was going to spend a good portion of the afternoon decorating.  
  
It took him a while to hang everything up perfectly, but the room was finally beginning to look like it belonged to him. He took a step back to admire his work and cracked his knuckles, falling back on his bed. That was all the unpacking he wanted to do for today. Just as he was getting comfortable, he heard a knock on his door.  
  
"Frankie, come out here. We're eating." His father said loudly, knocking over and over until the boy managed to drag himself out of bed and open the door. Frank made an annoyed face at his dad, who was smiling wide. They walked towards the kitchen together where the food was on the table.  
  
They both took their seats, and Linda looked rather pleased with herself, "I made dinner myself tonight." She announced, folding her hands in her lap.  
Frank stared at the food, "This looks good." He said softly. Just as he was about to stab a piece of broccoli with his fork, his free hand was grabbed. Oh, yeah. He set the utensil down and let his parents say grace before they finally were able to eat.  
  
They talked about normal things over dinner, but Frank continuously dodged the subject of school. It wasn't like he was afraid of telling them anything, he just didn't feel like thinking of school when he was at home. He finished dinner very quickly since he had a tendency to eat everything that was put in front of him like a ravenous animal. Once he finished, he washed his dish in the sink.  
  
"G'night, guys. Love you." Frank said, waving at his parents before going into his room and stripping out of all his clothes aside from his boxers. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed, flicking the light switch off and throwing himself down onto his bed, curling up in the mess of blankets and pillows. He had another day of school tomorrow, and he didn't want to fall asleep during his new classes. It was time for bed.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm very sorry. this chapter is super boring.  
> i'm gonna try and get things to pick up in the next one i post..


	4. You Can Be My Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank makes plans with Gerard and meets someone new.

Frank was woken up by yelling, his eyes only opening halfway as he tried to identify the noise in his sleepy haze. He crawled out of bed, dragging his feet to turn the lights on. He knew what was going on, and he didn't want to have to leave his room to see it. He flinched as he heard the front door slam and began to get ready for school. He turned to the mirror, staring at himself with a disgusted expression. He needed to get some clothes on.  
  
He dug through the pile of clothes he'd dumped on the floor until he found one of his band tees and a fresh pair of jeans and got into them as fast as he could. He left his room, looking around the house with a frown as he tried to figure out if his father was still here. This always happened. After everything was going well, they'd start fighting. Hell, they'd said grace while holding hands. You'd think things were getting better, but his dad had left and taken the car with him. The way his parents acted was just plain annoying.  
  
"You have to walk to school today, Frank." Linda hissed from the kitchen table, her head resting in her hands.  
  
Frank nodded wordlessly, opening the door to his room slowly. He had to fight the intense urge to just flop over on his bed and go back to sleep for a few more hours. If he did that, his mom would probably be pretty pissed.  
His morning was pretty much routine, but this time, he decided to put on the eyeliner he'd thought about doing the previous day. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at himself from multiple angles. Man, he needed to get a new lip ring before that hole closed. With a grunt, the boy picked his backpack up and moved quickly through the house to the front door.  
He didn't bother talking to his mom as she paced back and forth, muttering to herself.  
  
"How the hell do I get over there?" He groaned, staring at the school in the distance. He had no clue. Frank opened the GPS on his phone and attempted to find a route from where he was standing all the way to his new school. He'd particularly enjoy walking in the early morning, but he'd have to get used to it. It didn't look like he'd be driven to school again in quite some time.  
According to his phone, if he moved fast, he'd be able to get to school in about ten minutes.  
  
 As he was heading towards the front doors, the sound of his name being called caused him to freeze in his tracks. That voice wasn't one he'd heard before.  
  
"Hey, new dude! Frankie!" Some kid called, waving his arms. He had long legs and seemed pretty thin, and it looked like he was wearing glasses. Frank shuddered and hunched over, hoping this guy wasn't going to try anything.  
"Oh man, never thought I'd get to see you up this close." Now that the other was up close, he was able to examine him. He was tall with small features and brown hair. He was wearing all black, and Frank immediately found comfort in that fact. His voice was also rather quiet and raspy. He didn't look like the kind of person who talked much.  
The mysterious kid smiled, "Hi!" He said enthusiastically.  
  
"Hey," Frank replied, shoving his thumbs in his pockets, "Who're you?" He wasn't sure if he really wanted to talk to this guy.  
  
The kid held his hand out, "I'm Mikey. It's nice to finally get to talk to ya, Frankie." Mikey was still smiling gently. He seemed friendly enough.  
  
The shorter one took his hand, shaking it weakly, "You can just call me Frank." He mumbled, flipping his hair. "It's nice to meet you."  
  
"Likewise. I hope we can be friends." He stated, glancing towards the entrance to the school for a moment. "Do you have anyone to sit with at lunch?" He put his hands on his hips.  
  
Frank shook his head. It seemed like everyone here had a habit of putting their hands on their hips.  
"Oh, er, I don't." He looked off to the side, feeling like quite the loser.  
  
"You should sit with me today! I mean, you don't gotta." He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.  
  
In all honesty, Frank wasn't sure if he wanted to. He tapped his foot on the ground, "I'll think about it." He stated, turning his head away from the ground to make eye contact with the other. Mikey didn't look upset or offended, so that was a good thing.  
  
The two stood in a painfully awkward silence, neither of them knowing what to say.  
  
Suddenly, Mikey's phone buzzed. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen, "Frank, I'll talk to you later. Got places to be. See you around!"  
"Bye!" He called, watching the brunet hurry through the doors. Frank examined the empty area, already missing the other's company. With a sigh, the boy stepped through the heavy metal doors and into the main building, ready to begin his school day.  
  
At least the kids weren't all staring at him now. Frank felt himself walk with a bit more confidence knowing that he wasn't being scrutinized. He scanned the hallway helplessly looking for Gerard. Even though they weren't exactly friends, he was hoping he would at least be welcome to stand near him in the morning. The boy came to an abrupt stop at the sight of the other. He looked pretty nice today, a hoodie and tight pants being the most notable features of him today.  
He didn't seem to notice Frank, so the smaller one approached.  
  
"Hey, Gerard." He said casually, waving a bit.  
  
"Oh, Frankie. You're back again." He snorted, pushing some of his hair away from his face. "Haven't made any new friends?" Gerard scratched his head and chuckled.  
  
"I did!" Frank replied defensively, standing up on his toes. It didn't make him as tall as Gerard, but at least he felt a little bigger. The taller one forced him down to his regular height again and quirked a brow.   
  
"Really?" His voice was flat, and it was clear that he wasn't interested in hearing him elaborate.  
Gerard turned away from him when some dude got his attention and laughed quietly, starting a conversation up.  
  
Frank groaned, turning to look around for a place to sit where nobody else was. He plopped down in front of the janitor closet and huffed, folding his arms and giving everyone who walked by a dirty look. He'd become pretty good at intimidating people with his gaze. He listened in on conversations boredly while he sat alone, waiting for the bell to ring. People were muttering about an upcoming party, but Frank didn't have any reason to care. He had no friends. There was nothing fun about sitting in the corner and drinking by yourself until you pass out.  
Frank was snapped from his thoughts as he felt somebody sit beside him.  
Who the hell was this? There were other places to sit in the hall. He turned his head with a confused expression but ended up smiling when he realized it was Gerard. The dark-haired boy brought one of his legs up to his chest, letting his arm rest on it as he stared Frank down, examining him like he'd done the day before.  
The two were quiet for a while, staring at one another with interest.  
  
Finally, Gerard spoke, "You smoke?" He scratched his chin while he awaited a reply.  
  
"Yeah, why?" Frank licked his lips, realizing how long he'd gone without smoking. Last time he had a cig had to have been a month ago. Moving had taken his mind off of it, probably.  
  
"Want to come back out and smoke with me?" Gerard questioned.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be cool." Frank heard himself stutter on the last word, and he couldn't help but feel embarrassed.  
  
Gerard stood up, grabbing the other's wrist gently yanking him up into a standing position. The two of them walked down the hall together without speaking or making eye contact. They took an obscure route to one of the back exit doors and stepped outside, a canopy of trees and a cement fence blocking them from the outside world. The only people that could possibly catch them would be staff members or other students, but Gerard assured him that nobody ever came back here.  
  
Gerard placed a cigarette between his lips and pulled another out to hand to Frank. He took out his lighter and lit his own, then the smaller boy's.  
Frank inhaled deeply, feeling every bit of tension in his body melt away when the smoke sat in his lungs. He forgot how wonderful this felt. He looked over at the other, who was blowing smoke from his lips with his eyes closed. He was really hot and Frank felt ugly in comparison.  
 He sighed and pressed his cigarette to his lips, taking another drag.  
  
 "So, Frankie, are you going to the party this weekend?" Gerard asked, tapping his foot absentmindedly.  
  
Frank had only overheard a few conversations about this party and decided he didn't want to go. Hearing the words from Gerard's mouth made it seem more appealing, though. He didn't want to seem like a loser either, so he spoke quickly, "Y'know, I'd go if I had a ride." He flicked some ash off of his cigarette and gave Gerard a hopeful glance.  
  
"I'll take you. You can be my date to the party." He laughed, smoke tumbling from his lips. The tall boy tossed his unfinished cig on the ground and leaned over Frank, "Give me your address. I'll pick you up Saturday night." He whispered, retreiving a pen from his pocket and holding it out to Frank. He pulled the sleeve of his jacket up, revealing his pale skin.  
  
Frank rolled his eyes and scribbled down his brand new address he'd managed to memorize on Gerard's arm, a buzz of excitement going through him. He was going to go to a party with a friend. The boy read the writing on his arm and nodded, taking the pen back.  
  
"Nice. I used to live around there." Gerard leaned even closer, and Frank blew smoke in his face before dropping his own cigarette and grinding it out against the pavement.   
  
"See you this weekend." The boy backed off, pulling open the exit door and stepping back into the building.  
  
Frank swallowed thickly and let the events that had just happened run through his head a few more times before the bell rang, signalling the end of free period.  
He shuffled inside, darting through students as swiftly as possible to try and get to homeroom without being late.  
  
\----  
  
 Frank cringed as he was herded into the cafeteria with hundreds of other kids. He didn't bother lining up to get food, instead, he just took a seat at the nearest table. God, why did it smell so bad in here?  
  
"Hey, dude. How's the day been?" Mikey greeted as he sat down across from him. "You mind if we sit here?" He cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  
  
"Pretty damn boring. Nothing cool happens here." Frank shook his head, thankful that he wasn't going to be alone. The brunette across from him motioned at somebody behind Frank.  
  
"We're sitting here, Mikey?" Gerard looked like he was about to protest the decision, but he caught sight of the skunk-haired boy and immediately took a seat right beside him, "You're friends with Frank? I didn't know that." Gerard mused, resting his elbows on the lunch table.  
  
 Frank could smell the strong scent of coffee and cigarette smoke on the boy beside him.  
  
"Yeah, that's why I told you not to go off campus for lunch. I'd invited him to sit with us." Mikey rolled his eyes and shoveled some of the school food into his mouth.  
  
"You guys are friends?" Frank spoke up, motioning at the two of them.  
  
"Yeah. We're brothers, too." The brunette answered, pushing around some sort of weird vegetable mix on his tray. "I figured you knew."  
  
That actually made a lot of sense, "No way. I didn't even stop to think you guys were related."  
  
"We are. Mikey's my little brother." Gerard added, shooting his sibling a look.  
With that, he stood up from the table abruptly, "I'm going out to buy more smokes. I'll be back soon." He turned around and began walking towards the doors of the cafeteria.  
  
"See you tonight, Gee," Mikey grumbled, looking disappointed. He pushed away the remaining food and shook his head, "Every time he leaves for smokes he ditches school for the rest of the day." He complained, crossing his legs.  
"He's my ride home, and I end up having to ride the bus 'cause of him." He rubbed his temples lightly and glanced up at Frank, locking their gazes, "Anyway, I heard Gee's your ride to the party this weekend. Hope you guys don't crash or something." He grabbed his tray and tossed it in the garbage without any explanation why he'd said that.  
  
 "Me either." Frank laughed nervously, his eyes wide. The kids at this school were so weird. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow i haven't posted in like three weeks i'm so sorry  
> its been hard to write lately oops...  
> but hey things are starting to get somewhere i think


	5. If It Looks Like I'm Laughing, I'm Really Just Asking to Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank goes to the party, but it doesn't end as well as he had hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> underage drinking and slight nsfw ahead  
> chapter title from the sharpest lives by my chemical romance

The week had passed at a snail-like pace, but finally, the weekend had rolled around. The previous days at school were rather boring, Frank ate lunch with Mikey every day and spent free period with him as well. Gerard had been mostly ignoring him, but Frank wasn't very surprised. He was a really popular kid, and he had a ton of close friends that he was obviously more interested in than the weird scrawny new boy. At least he had Mikey, who was a genuinely friendly and pleasant person to spend time with. He learned a lot about the Way brothers and how their lives worked. He learned that Mikey wanted lots of dogs, and he learned that Gerard once slept for an entire day. He also learned that Gerard was weirder than he'd initially thought.  
Hanging out with Mikey gave Frank a sense of belonging in this freaky school, he got insight on who everyone was and how the cliques here worked. He honestly appreciated the friendship he was developing with the youngest Way. Everything was fine, aside from a very out-of-place text message from Mikey on Saturday afternoon.  
  
_Frank, I want you to be careful around Gerard tonight. Can you be really careful? I don't want either of you guys to get hurt or something worse_.  
**[12:40 PM]**  
  
He'd wanted to reply and start asking questions since the message was already making him anxious. Frank twiddled his thumbs over the keyboard of his phone and typed out a simple reply.   
  
ok? what are you tlking abt tho?  
**[12:41 PM]**  
  
_Don't ask, just do it. Sorry if I'm scaring you or something._ I just need _to make sure, yeah?_  
**[12:45 PM]**  
  
Frank set his phone down on his bed, rubbing his temples, now very afraid of what he was talking about. Why wouldn't Mikey elaborate? Even though he'd only known him for a week, he knew that he was always willing to explain things that Frank didn't get. Maybe this was too personal, perhaps he was intruding on an aspect of the Way's lives that he wasn't allowed to be anywhere near. He bit his lip, standing up and walking out into the living room where his mother was seated on the couch, reading a magazine.  
  
"Mom, I'm going out to a party tonight," Frank announced, hoping she'd acknowledge him.  
  
"You better have a ride, since I don't have a car." She muttered, crossing her legs without looking away from the gardening magazine.  
  
"I do. Dad hasn't been home since you guys fought Tuesday?" He shook his head, feeling disgusted at his father's actions. His disappearing act was getting in the way of his personal life.  
  
"He'll be back soon. Things will be back to normal eventually, honey." Linda set the magazine aside and made eye contact with her son, who looked rather annoyed.  
  
"Every time things are starting to get 'back to normal', you guys pull this shit routine." He snapped, turning his head away from his mother, "Do you even like him? Do you even like, love each other? Are you only together because of me?" He didn't wait for answers, instead of he just waved his hand dismissively, "Nevermind, don't answer any of those."  
  
Without another word, Frank went back into his room and sat down cross-legged on his bed. He mostly felt exhausted and stressed out, and he didn't really know how to deal with all of this. Frank scratched the side of his head and grunted as he pressed his face into a pillow, yawning quietly. It was still noon, so he figured he'd have plenty of time to sleep before Gerard came to get him around sundown.  
  
\----  
  
"Oh, hello. You must be Frank's mother." Gerard said with sickeningly sweet politeness, bowing slightly at the door. "I'm Gerard. Nice to meet you."  
  
Linda quirked a brow and shook her head, "Uh huh. You must be the one taking Frank out tonight." She observed, looking the tall boy before her up and down once, "You can come in. His room is right over there if you want to get him." Linda moved aside so Gerard could come inside and watched the boy saunter over towards the door, opening it without knocking.  
  
"Frankie!" Gerard spoke in a sing-song voice as he stepped in through the doorway. Frank was standing in front of the mirror, examining himself without a shirt on. He whipped his head around at the sound of the door opening.  
  
"Jesus! Did you knock?" His hands scrambled to try and cover his chest. His face turned bright red as he stared at Gerard with wide eyes. "Why're you just standing there?!" He questioned awkwardly, furrowing his brows.  
  
"I expected you to be ready when I came to get you," Gerard commented, turning his attention away from Frank to examine the rest of his room, "You're not." His tone was flat now. He ran a hand through his dark hair, which looked especially clean and silky tonight.  
  
"I'm sorry." Frank mumbled, grabbing the closest shirt he could get his hands on, and slipped into it quickly. It hung looser on him than most of his other clothing, and Gerard briefly wondered if it was a hand-me-down from a family member. Aside from the missing shirt, Frank had looked like he'd done his makeup and hair for the occasion. He stepped towards Gerard, tilting his head up to look at him.  
  
Their gazes were locked for a moment until Gerard grabbed Frank's hand and threaded their fingers together. "Let's fucking leave." Gerard turned his face away from the smaller boy and moved so quickly that he seemed to be dragging Frank behind him a bit.  
  
"Okay, okay." Frank squeaked, the demanding tone that Gerard put on instantly made him feel at least three sizes smaller.  
  
  
"Have a good time, boys." Linda called from the couch, her nose stuck back in the gardening magazine as the duo darted out the door hand-in-hand.  
  
  
Gerard's car was really nice. It was black, sleek and it looked like it shouldn't belong to a teenager. The larger boy let go of Frank with a grunt as they parted ways to get in on opposite sides of the car. Frank slid into the passenger seat, feeling small and uncomfortable in the vehicle. He sighed, ruffling his hair up as Gerard pulled out of the driveway, staring intently at his review mirror as he did so.  
 Soon enough, they were on the road.  
  
"You look really uh, hot tonight, Gerard," Frank mumbled suddenly, observing the other with wide eyes. He wasn't lying when he said that. The boy beside him was wearing tight jeans and a tight red shirt. He'd done his hair so it was pushed away from his face, too. Gerard looked hot as hell, and Frank wasn't going to deny it.  
  
"You gay, Frankie?" Gerard clicked his tongue, running a red light.  
  
"No," Frank whispered defensively, staring out the window. He was lying, but he wasn't just going to come out to this guy that Mikey told him to be careful around.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm a virgin." His voice was thick with sarcasm as he turned a corner sharply onto a street full of nice looking houses.  
  
Frank huffed, trying to look as if the comment didn't make him flustered. He slumped down in the seat, looking the interior of the car over casually.  
He reached out towards a small compartment, deciding to open it up. Just as he got his fingertip on it, Gerard's hand was clutching his wrist tightly and forcing it away from the compartment door. Frank gasped, alarmed by the sudden pain that flared in his wrist. Jesus, Gerard was stronger than he'd expected.  
  
"Didn't your parents teach you to keep your hands to yourself, Frankie?" He dropped Frank's hand abruptly, placing both his hands on the wheel as they finally pulled up to a house with a myriad of cars around it. Frank felt his cheeks heat, but he made sure to turn his face away so Gerard didn't see.  
  
They exited the car and came up to the front door, the muffled thud of music already making Frank shake a bit as they waited for someone to open up and let them in. Gerard rolled his eyes, just opening it himself and strutting inside, Frank in tow.  
 It seemed as though the world stopped when Gerard entered, like he was some sort of celebrity. Gerard hooked an arm around Frank, guiding him over to a table covered with bottles of alcohol.  
  
"Shit, that's a lot of booze," Frank commented quietly, reaching out and grabbing the closest bottle to him, not really caring what it was. He'd only drank a few times before, and it wasn't very much. This was new. He unscrewed the cap and tilted his head back, chugging some of it down.  
Gerard was right behind him, holding a bottle of Schnapps in his hands like a trophy. He exchanged greetings with other teens between each gulp. Frank swallowed thickly, already beginning to notice the edges of his vision getting somewhat blurry. Tonight was probably going to be long.  
  
  
How many hours had passed? Had he only been here for ten minutes? No, it had to have been longer. He was too buzzed to even tell. Frank squinted, watching his vision contort and blur as he tried to focus. Yeah, he couldn't identify anything for shit.  
  
Frank was feeling vulnerable and turned on as he sat on the floor by Gerard's feet, listening to the chatter he could no longer decipher. The boy above him on the couch was laughing obnoxiously, and Frank grinned big at him, joining in on the laughter despite not knowing what it was about. There were other people around Gerard on the couch, all of them laughing with him. Some of them were pointing at Frank, but he hadn't noticed.  
  
"Frankie's such a fuckin' lightweight, just look at him." Gerard slurred, "He can hardly even stand!" The group on the couch broke out into whooping laughter, finding almost everything hilarious.  
  
Gerard froze, his smile dropping as he felt friction against his leg. He looked down, but then began to cackle as he caught sight of Frank Iero, grasping at his leg and humping it like some kind of horny puppy.  
Being the cruel motherfucker he is, Gerard pulled his phone out of his pocket. He snickered, opening the camera app with shaky fingers. He tapped the record button and reached out, running his hand through Frank's hair.  
  
"Oh, Frankie!" Gerard called, giggling quietly. The tiny boy on his leg didn't still his movements, he just looked up and made eye contact with the one who called out to him. He moaned loudly, rutting against Gerard's leg wildly. He was so drunk, it was incredible that he hadn't passed out yet.  
  
"You enjoying yourself? That feel good?" Gerard asked through giggles, while Frank whined desperately, nodding his head.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Want more." He threw his head back,  
  
"Gerard..." Frank mumbled, nuzzling against his thigh. Gerard grinned, taking his hand away from Frank to take a swig out of a bottle sitting beside him on the couch. He let his hand return to Frank's hair, yanking it violently. Frank's head was lifted up and he gasped, his pace getting more feverish. He bit down on his lip and whimpered, digging his fingers into Gerard's thigh desperately as he struggled to get more friction against his crotch.  
  
"God, you're so gross." Gerard mumbled, mostly to himself as he watched Frank shove his hand down his pants and rub himself in time with his thrusts against the dark-haired one's leg.  
  
"Gerard...yeah, yeah. I love it," He moaned out, stroking himself faster despite the fact that his hand was somewhat constricted under his jeans. He licked his lips as Gerard bounced his leg encouragingly. Gerard leaned forward, moving the camera unsteadily to get footage of everything that was happening.  
  
Yeah, this was going to ruin Frank's life if it got out anywhere. Gerard seemed very entertained with that idea.  
"Frankie, hey. Look at my phone." He mumbled, laughing loudly afterward. The small boy beneath him looked at Gerard with a spacey expression, then made eye contact with the camera.  
Everything was completely drowned out aside from Gerard, so he honestly had no idea what the other was planning.  
He stopped thinking and cried out, his hips stuttering as he came in his jeans. Slowly, he pulled his hand out of his pants and wiped some of the cum on his fingers off on his shirt. Frank slumped down, panting heavily as Gerard stopped recording the video, an amused smile on his face.  
Everyone around Gerard was either laughing or groaning about how gross the situation was, but he didn't really give a shit. He had some great blackmail material. He crossed his legs, tilting his head back to talk to a pretty girl who was leaning on the back of the sofa.  
  
The excitement of the previous moment had taken a lot out of Frank. He felt his eyelids become heavy, along with his body, and eventually gave up on holding himself up. He sprawled out on the cold tile floor and found himself asleep moments later.  
  
  
A sharp kick to the stomach jolted Frank awake. He clutched the area in pain at the sudden contact and looked around to see who might have done it.  
"You're awake!" Gerard said, snickering into his hand as he motioned for the boy to sit beside him on the couch.  
  
The small boy dragged himself up beside the other, still feeling pretty fucking buzzed. He was beginning to get a headache, too.  
  
"Look at this video I got of you before you fell asleep." Gerard grinned, pressing the play button on the video he'd recorded earlier.  
  
"What was I doing?" Frank asked, leaning a bit closer to hear the audio. He recognized the sound of one of his own moans and recoiled immediately.  
   
Frank felt his gut twist as he watched his own obscene acts on Gerard's phone. Judging by the sound of laughter, the people by Gerard were making fun of him.  
"This is gonna get so many hits." The dark-haired boy smiled at the video, pressing the share button and preparing to post it online.  
  
Frank didn't know what to do, he was sitting there in silence with wide eyes. He had to stop him or at least convince him to delete it.  
"Gerard, Gerard! Please! Don't show anybody! I'll do anything you want!" Frank begged, throwing himself on top of the taller boy who was clearly ignoring his pleas.  
  
The two wrestled on the couch over the phone, Gerard jamming an elbow into Frank's ribs and Frank biting down hard on Gerard's arm. Frank's chances of winning were pretty slim, considering his size and strength compared to Gerard.  
  
It happened so fast, Frank was barely aware of what he'd done. He slapped the phone out of Gerard's hand, causing it to land face-down on the tile floor. The two stared at each other for a moment, each of them looking somewhat scared for two different reasons.  
  
Gerard hissed, flipping Frank over so he was beneath him, pinning him down on the couch as he reached out and snatched the phone from the ground. Frank wheezed and tried his hardest to get out from underneath the larger boy.  
A few tiny slivers of glass fell down as Gerard retrieved his cell. It was cracked bad and the screen was not responding to touch. Gerard looked the phone over once and popped his neck, setting it down gently on the table.  
  
"You broke my phone." He growled, leaning close to Frank's face, "That cost a lot of money, Frankie. You'll have to pay for it." He looked pissed, really pissed. He also looked drunk as hell, which made him much more frightening. Frank could smell liquor on his breath.  
  
He writhed underneath his weight, mumbling out apologies profusely, "Oh god, oh shit. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break it!" He gasped, wincing as Gerard forced him up into a sitting position on the couch.  
  
"It's still broken, Frankie. Sorry just doesn't cut it." He said sweetly, before curling his hand into a fist and ramming it sharply into Frank's eye, causing him to cry out. His head flopped backward as he cringed, still stunned from the hit.  
  
Gerard got up from the couch, forcing Frank up by the collar with him and slamming him down on the coffee table, despite his desperate protests. Frank scrambled away from Gerard, rolling off the table and pushing himself up from the floor.  
  
He held his hands up and backed away, a bruise already beginning to form on his jaw, "I'm sorry Gerard!" He gasped, his knees buckling as he continued to move back. Gerard moved faster than Frank, though. Soon, he and Frank were face to face, and Gerard elbowed him hard in the stomach, causing him to double over.  
  
"Shut up, Frankie." He slurred, forcing Frank all the way to the ground until he was able to put his foot on his back. He kicked him roughly in the ribs and stomach repeatedly, barking out insults and nonsense until the boy beneath him was spluttering through tears.  
  
 Everyone had crowded around the two of them, whooping and chanting for Gerard to finish Frank off.  
"Wreck him!" One girl called, hoisting her red party cup in the air.  
  
"Rip his guts out, Gerard!" Said another.  
  
"Make the pretty boy cry!"  
  
The words urged the taller one on, and he decided to make a bit of a show out of the fight.  
Gerard was beaming as he grabbed Frank's arm, making him stand up. He looked fragile and terrified, one of his eyes beginning to swell and a thin line of blood running down his chin. Gerard took great pleasure in seeing him so disheveled.  
  
He backed him up against a wall, pinning him against it with closed fists against his chest, which made Frank yelp. Gerard leaned in close, taking Frank's bottom lip in his teeth and biting down hard until he was sure he felt blood well up from the area. Frank curled his fingers against the wall as he felt his legs go weak, quiet desperate noises bubbling up from within him.  
  
"G-Gerard..." He whined, taking shallow breaths as the larger boy pressed his fists harder into his chest. Gerard's eyes widened as he heard Frank moan, but the surprise on his face was gone in a moment. It was replaced with complete mockery and mischievousness. He finally let go of Frank's lip and stepped back, watching the frail boy crumple to the floor as soon as support was taken away.  
  
Frank's eyes moved to look at Gerard, who was still watching him. The dark-haired one yawned before delivering a sharp kick to Frank's jaw. Frank groaned and curled into himself, not wanting everyone to see that he was beginning to get hard from getting fucking beat up. There was just something about Gerard that Frank really was in love with, even when he was making him bleed.  
  
The crowd seemed to be mostly focused on Gerard, cheering for him and jumping around him like a pack of wild animals. That's all these kids were, though. Creatures who worshiped their alpha. Gerard was the alpha.  
  
Frank stayed in place on the ground, breathing deeply as he swallowed down blood. He lifted himself up, a sharp pain shooting through his sides as he did so. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand without help, so he simply stayed sitting down, leaning against the wall. His hands trembled as he put one over his mouth. He didn't know how he was getting home, and he was sure that Gerard wouldn't take him. If he did, he'd probably drop him in a ditch somewhere, and Frank wasn't so keen on that.  
  
He watched the party begin to wrap up from his little spot against the wall. He whimpered, forcing himself to stand. Oh god, it hurt. Frank ignored the feelings and managed to lug himself towards the front door.  
Nobody said a word to him, they all just watched him with cruel, jeering eyes. He stood outside next to some rosebushes in the front yard and gulped. He was far away from home, and it was late. He had no way of getting back.  
  
"Gerard..." Frank's voice was hoarse as he caught sight of the boy who'd just smashed his face in, "I k-know you hate me, but I really need to get back home." He stuttered, clasping his hands together and looking up at the other boy with the most sympathetic face he could muster.  
"Please? I'll never talk to you again. I just really need to get home." He cried, examining Gerard's completely expressionless face.  
  
He quirked a brow and shifted his position, "I can't believe you got hard from me beating you up. You're pathetic." Gerard said finally, turning on his heels and walking towards his car without another word. Frank didn't follow him, he just sat there looking desperate and horrified.  
  
He'd noticed?  
He had no idea what to do.  
  
Frank watched Gerard drive off and sighed, reaching into his pocket to try and find his phone. Luckily, it hadn't been stolen. Before he called his dad, the boy turned to vomit in the rosebushes.  
  
"Dad? Can you take me back home? My ride left me." He mumbled, shame filling his voice. "Hold on, let me get the address." Frank felt like absolute garbage, he didn't know where to go from here. He shouldn't have gotten drunk. He should have listened to Mikey. He shouldn't have let any of this happen. He really felt like he deserved everything that had happened.  
  
\----   
  
"You're drunk, aren't you?" His father asked, shaking his head. Frank didn't answer, he sat there quietly turning his phone over in his hands. "Underage drinking is bad news, Frank. I'm disappointed in you." He said harshly.  
  
The younger scowled, "I'm also disappointed in you." He snapped, leaning his head against the window. His phone began buzzing rapidly, so he checked to see who it was from.  
It was Mikey.  
  
_Son of a bitch, Frank! I really thought you'd listen to me!_  
**[12:26 AM]**  
  
_Gerard is super pissed AND you broke his phone. I told you to be careful!_  
**[12:26 AM]**  
  
_He's going to go after you now, Frank! You've dug your own grave. He can be really spontaneous, so you should probably watch your back._  
**[12:27 AM]**  
  
Every text message Frank got made him nervous, so he turned his phone off in order to avoid Mikey. He rubbed at his jaw, which was rather sensitive. Hopefully, they'd just get home soon.  
  
The two entered the house together, Frank's dad dropping down on the couch and Frank going to his room.  
He flicked on his light and moved to stare at himself in the mirror. Carefully, he pulled his shirt off over his head and stripped down until he was in nothing but his boxers.  
   
Oh, man.  
  
He gently traced his fingers over multiple bruises that had appeared on his chest and sighed weakly, letting his hands travel lower to check his stomach. Everything hurt, but nothing felt like it was fatally wounded. He hurried into the kitchen, getting himself a plastic bag and filling it with ice cubes before returning to his room.  
He squished it against his eye and stared at himself closely in the mirror. The corners of his lips twitched upwards as he stared at himself. This was fucking wild.  
Frank never thought he'd like his appearance this much. There was just something charming about touching the blood dribbling from his mouth and pressing ice over his swollen eye. He never thought he'd find himself wishing for this to happen again, either.  
With a grin, the boy began to do little poses in front of his mirror, rather pleased with what he was seeing for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've been really really sick all day so i finally had time to write  
> i hope this chapter lived up to its expectations, i feel like it was a little all over the place  
> thank you for sticking with me and i'll have the next chapter up as soon as i'm feeling better


	6. Don't Get Jealous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank notices that Gerard has started to pay more attention to a girl and he doesn't understand why.

Frank hadn't really realized how fast the weekend was going by until it was Sunday afternoon, and he was dragging himself out of bed with an aching body and low spirits. A hangover today hadn't put his mind or body in the best condition. He groaned, refusing to move from his warm spot under the covers on his shitty, deflated air bed. Frank was really hoping that he'd be able to get a normal bed soon.  
  
He sighed, reaching over to his bedside table to grab his phone and check the time. He noticed that he had a missed call from Mikey. So, he figured he'd return the call to see what this was all about. He typed the number in and pressed it to his ear as he let it ring.  
  
"Hey, Frankie. You finally called me back." That wasn't Mikey's voice.  
  
"Gerard?" He quirked a brow and took the phone off speaker, pressing it up against his ear now.  
  
"Yeah, it's me. I'd call you on my own phone, but it's broken." He said flatly, Frank's speaker crackling slightly as Gerard's voice came through, "Anyway, I need something from you."  
  
"What is it?" Frank asked weakly, furrowing his brows as he noticed how much his head hurt.  
  
"I want an apology from you, Frankie."  
  
"Uh, I'm sorry for everything that happened yesterday." Frank squinted and shrugged his shoulders, hoping that was what Gerard wanted.  
  
"No, no. That was terrible. I want a better one. I want to hear you explain how sorry you are for forcing me to fuck up your face at the party."  
  
"I already apologized!" Frank snapped, rubbing his forehead as he struggled to ignore the irritating pain in his skull that was getting increasingly worse as he was forced to speak.  
  
"It wasn't good enough," Gerard said.  
  
"I'm not saying sorry again. I don't care." Frank mumbled, fighting the strong urge to hang up on the other.  
  
"Fine, Frankie. Be difficult." With that, Gerard ended the call.  
  
Frank tossed his phone on the ground carelessly, staring up at the ceiling. He stretched out and groaned loudly, realizing how much it really hurt to move. He sat up slowly, watching the room spin and tilt as he struggled to pull the drawer of his side table open to find a bottle of asprin.   
When he did, he popped two in his mouth and grabbed a three-day-old bottle of water from the floor to chase them down. Jesus, he only now realized how parched he felt. Getting drunk wasn't worth the hellish hangover in Frank's opinion.  
  
He threw the now empty water bottle to the ground and bundled himself under his blankets while he thought about how the school week was going to play out.  
  
He cringed and let his eyes fall shut, gently putting his hand up over his swollen cheek. He probably looked like such a mess. Going anywhere would be impossible right now.  
  
Thank God his parents didn't try to get him to go to church anymore.  
  
\----   
  
"Frankie, get up." Linda shook Frank gently in order to wake him.  
  
Frank practically jolted upright, looking terrified. He got one look at his mom and let out a sigh of relief, his entire body relaxing. "You scared me." He mumbled, his voice barely audible as he stretched out and yawned.  
  
"Are you okay, honey? You don't look well. You don't have to go to school today if you're sick." She said after she made a concerned face and pressed the back of her palm to Frank's forehead gently. This caused the boy to lean away from her with a frown.  
  
"I'm fine, Mom. I just had a weird dream." He got off of the bed and dug through the clothing boxes he had gotten tired of seeing in his room. While he found something to wear, Linda followed him and patted his back. He watched her wince when he shrank away from her touch again. She walked towards the door of his room with an upset expression on her face.  
  
He didn't mean to be so mean and dismissive, really he didn't.  
  
"If you say so, Frank," Linda said, leaving and closing the door behind her. The small boy relaxed as she left, slipping into a hoodie with tattered sleeves and the same pair of pants he'd worn all this week. He'd probably need to wash them soon.  
  
He looked at himself in the mirror and grinned, prodding at every little wound and cut Gerard had given him. It was probably freaky how much he enjoyed looking like this. Frank looked away from the mirror bashfully, poking his tongue out from between his lips to run over the slowly closing hole where his lip ring had been removed. For some reason, he didn't mind not having it anymore. He associated the feeling of the object missing with Gerard, and that was why he'd decided not to replace it.  
  
Was that weird?  
  
\----   
  
He didn't talk to anyone aside from Ray, who he texted constantly during any free time they had during the school day. It wasn't the same as hanging out with him in real life, though.  
  
Frank considered this school a living hell, and he never wanted to come back. He had no chance of making new friends after that party, and his only two friends ended up ditching him because of it. One of the worst decisions he'd ever made was to go with Gerard. Perhaps if he didn't, things would be better for him now.  
  
He missed Ray and everything else back home. He hated both his parents for taking him away from it all. Frank knew that he'd never like Belleville or feel at home here.  
  
The day was especially awful during lunch when everyone avoided the table he was sitting at like he had a disease. If anyone did sit next to him, it was because there were no other open seats in the entire lunchroom.  
  
While Frank waited for lunch to end, he noticed Gerard leaning against the doorframe of the cafeteria. He was facing Frank's general direction, but he was wearing sunglasses. There was no way that he could figure out where exactly he was looking. Frank watched him stand there for a long time until some girl came through the doorway. He then moved from his spot to walk with her and Frank felt his stomach drop.  
  
Who was that? Why was Gerard with a girl? Frank had never seen her before. She was really pretty. Was she new here? Frank began to feel sick. He wouldn't be able to stop thinking about this mysterious girl until he figured out who she was.  
  
It took a while, but lunch was soon over. He was free from this torture. Now he had to go to class, where he felt a bit more comfortable. Nobody could make a scene and sit away from him there. They were all forced to stay in their assigned seats.  
  
\----  
  
He slid down in his chair, digging through his bag and pulling out his notebook. There weren't many notes in it at all, honestly. He felt like it was sort of useless to even own this, considering he entered this school at such a late point in the year.  
While he was flipping through many empty pages, Frank noticed Gerard come in and sit down beside him. It was sort of surprising to see him there before the bell had rung. Frank had only been here for one week, but he pretty much knew how everything worked. According to everyone else and what he'd seen, Gerard never came to Mr. Black's class on time.  
  
He turned back to his notebook nervously, not wanting Gerard to accuse him of staring.  
  
Although, Frank found that he couldn't stop looking at Gerard. He was acting so odd, hunching over his notebook and scribbling down something. Never had he even bothered to take out supplies during this hour. Did this have to do with the girl he was with earlier? It wasn't like he could just ask. They weren't on good terms. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to turn away. He had to ignore Gerard, no matter how weird he acted.  
  
From the corner of his eye, Frank watched Gerard tear the paper out of his notebook and fold it up sloppily. He made it into the smallest crooked square he could muster and whispered to the kid in front of him, who took the item from him and passed it forward to another student in front of them. Frank felt like he had just been punched in the stomach when he realized that the note landed in the hands of the same girl he'd seen Gerard with.  
Frank watched the girl open the note and look back at Gerard, who was giving her a cheeky grin.   
  
Frank swore Gerard glanced at him.   
  
Whatever. Gerard beat him up at the party. He didn't care about anything he did. Nope, he didn't give a shit that it looked like he was flirting with a girl. In fact, he cared so little about all of this that sometimes he forgot that he ever cared in the first place.  
  
Frank turned his head completely to look at Gerard now, interested in what exactly he was trying to do.  
  
Gerard was handing yet another note to the girl, which made Frank want to lunge forward and strangle her. What the hell did she think she was doing? Gerard should be flirting with him, not her. He heard Gerard laugh under his breath as the two of them passed notes back and forth.   
  
Frank shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked up Mr. Black as he entered the classroom and greeted everyone. At least a lesson would give him something to focus on aside from Gerard and the stupid girl two seats in front of him.  
  
The teacher droned on about something that Frank deemed unimportant as he stared out the tiny window in the classroom. He had only been here for a short period of time, but on multiple occasions he'd thought about maybe opening that window and running for his life away from this prison.  
  
"For the project, I'll be assigning partners." Mr. Black announced, immediately drawing Frank's attention back to the front of the room. "You'll have to do a lot of work outside of school together, understood?"   
  
A partner project? That would require working with someone who probably saw him get beaten up at the party. Great, this was just what he needed. Frank grumbled and let his head rest in his hands as the teacher cleared his throats and began announcing the pairs.  
  
Frank could barely sit still as he waited for his name to be called. There were so many kids in this class and he could end up with any of them. Was working alone an option?   
  
"Frank, you and Gerard are partners." The teacher called before moving onto the next set of people.   
  
Frank was attempting to suppress a grin when he looked over at Gerard, who looked rather disgusted. Out of all the people in the class, he got lucky and was paired up with Gerard. The best thing about all of this, though, was that Gerard was not paired up with the pretty black-haired girl.  
  
Suddenly, Gerard looked away and turned to look foward, "Hey," He whispered, and the girl he'd been passing notes to turned around, "sorry we don't get to be partners." He ran a hand through his hair and tilted his head to the side. It was obvious that he was attempting to appear as attractive as possible to this girl.  
  
"Are you two dating?" Frank questioned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Gerard turned back to face the teacher as he gave instructions for the project. It was apparent that Frank wasn't going to get an answer to that question. He sighed and faced the front of the classroom as well, feeling a bit defeated.  
  
\----   
  
Frank shuffled through the crowd of students as the bell rang. He attempted to push past someone, but he was just pushed back twice as hard. God damn, the people here were really strong.  
  
He was grabbed by the arm suddenly and was pulled out of the hoard of people. Frank thrashed around and spit insults as he attempted to get away from whoever was holding him. He turned around to see who it was and immediately stopped fighting.  
  
"We have to finish this project fast. I don't want to have to spend any more time with you than I'm already forced to."Gerard stated, dropping Frank's arm and frowning at the smaller boy.   
  
"Well, uh, we can work on it tonight if we go to your house." Frank said, wringing his hands together as he watched the stampede in the hall begin to clear out.  
  
"That works. Come on, my car's out this way." With that, the two of them walked out to the parking lot, where Gerard's car was taking up two spaces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry i haven't updated this in such a long time! i'll try to be better about that in the future. anyway, i hope you enjoy!


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